As the all-party delegation of parliamentarians, headed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, arrived in Srinagar on Sunday on a two-day visit, fresh violence broke in south Kashmir, leaving more than 30 injured.
“Heading to Srinagar with the All-Party Delegation. We intend to talk to individuals & groups who want peace & normalcy in the Kashmir valley (sic),” wrote Mr. Singh on Sunday morning.
The delegation is scheduled to meet mainstream political parties, including National Conference working president Omar Abdullah. In the evening, a meeting is scheduled with Governor N.N. Vohra. The first meeting will be with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.Valley-based prominent civil society groups, traders bodies’, lawyers and doctors on Saturday announced their boycott.
Most separatist leaders, including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik, remain behind the bars. There has been no response to Ms. Mufti’s formal invitation to separatists.
“The Mirwaiz is in a government sub-jail, Yasin is in central jail, others are spread in various prisons & she asks them to suggest the time & place!!! @MehboobaMufti should have released the detained Hurriyat leaders if she was serious about talks (sic),” tweeted Mr. Abdullah.
"She [Ms. Mufti] should just give a list of the prisons used & the official visiting hours to the delegation and allow them to visit the detainees," he added.
Fresh violence in Kashmir
Amid curfew and restrictions, south Kashmir’s Shopian and Anantnag districts on Sunday morning witnessed fresh violence.
Protesters and security forces clashed when locals tried to hold pro-freedom demonstrations. Angry protesters set afire administrative block in Shopian town. More than 30 protesters were injured in the clashes.
Nine protesters were injured in Anatnag districts.
Parts of Srinagar remain under curfew. There are restrictions in other parts of the Valley.
Kashmir saw 73 deaths in the past 58 days, triggered by the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani.
